Base and cover for portable sewing machines



Au 11, I925. 1,548,915

H. E. SMALLBONE BASE AND COVER FOR PORTABLE SEWING MACHINES Filed Jan. 22, 1923 z'sneets-sheet 1 Aug. 11, I 925.

1,548,915 H. E SMALLBONE BASE AND COVER FOR PORTABLE SEWING MACHINES Filed Jan. 22, 19:23 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 pun Patented Aug. 11, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT F-FHQE.

HARRY E. SMALLIBONE, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T DOMESTIC SEWING MACHINE CO., INC., OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Application filed January 22, 1923. Serial No. 614,262.

T0 at whom it may con-Gem."

Be itknown that I, HARRY E. SMALLBONE,

a citizen of the United States, residing in Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bases and Covers for Portable Sewing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to the base and the enclosing case of a port-able sewing machine.

Its object is to provide the base of the machine head with a foldable work rest or extension of improved construction, which is reliably held against displacement both in its folded and unfolded positions.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the case. Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section on line 2-2, Fig. 8, with the machine head mounted on the base. Figure3 is a horizontal section on line 33, Fig. 2. Figure 4 is a transverse section on line 44, Fig. 2, omitting the machine head. Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the sewing machine base and its interchangeable extension. Figure 6 is an enlarged horizontal section on line 6-6, Fig. 5.

Similar characters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views.

10 indicates the'sewing machine head and 11 the portable supporting base upon which it is mounted, said base being preferably hollow or of box-like form. Removably applied to these parts and completely enclosing them, is a case or cover 12 which is open at the bottom and provided with a handle 13 for conveniently carrying the machine from place to place. The base 11 forms the bottom for the case when the latter is placed over the machine head, and means are provided for reliably locking the case to said base. As shown in the drawings, these means are preferably constructed as follows:

Disposed transversely of the base 11 and supported at its ends for rotary movement in the side walls thereof is a horizontal operating shaft 14 located substantially centrally of the base. Operatively connected with this shaft are two sets of locking bars or bolts 15, arranged lengthwise of said base near opposite sides thereof, the bars of each set extending in opposite directions 55 from the shaft. Fixed to said shaft near each end thereof is a crank disk 16 to which the inner ends of the locking'bolt-s are pivoted, as shown at 17 their outer ends being guided in openings 18 in the end walls of the base and adapted to interlock with registering sockets 19 formed in the corresponding end walls of the case 12. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, each crank disk is provided with an annular groove 20 arranged to receive the pivoted end portions of said looking bolts. The front end of the operating shaft is provided with a socket 21 for the reception of a suitable key 22, the front wall of the case having a key-receiving opening 23 in line with said socket.

Upon turning the shaft in one direction or the other, the locking bolts are shifted lengthwise accordingly, projecting them into the locking sockets 19 to lock the case to the base, or withdrawing them therefrom to unlock the case and permit its removal from the base.

In order to avoid accidental unlocking of the bolts 15 and prevent the sewing machine and its base from dropping out of the case in carrying it, a spring 24 is preferably employed which is attached at one end to the base on one side of the shaft 14 and in line with one of the locking bolts, while its free end bears upon such bolt adjacent its inner end, as shown in Fig. 2. In the locked position of the bars, shown by full lines in Fig. 2, their pivots 17 are in substantially horizontal alinement, and the tendency of this spring is to resist turning of the shaft 14 and movement of said bolts out of their locked position.

A suitable stop is provided for preventing further rotation of the operating shaft when the locking bars have been projected to their fullest extent. For this purpose, a block 25 is preferably employed which is fastened to the underside of the base-top on that side of the shaft opposite to the spring 24 and in line with the companion locking bolt 15. The latter, upon being moved, together with the remaining bars, from the unlocked position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2 to the locked position shown by full lines in the same figure, encounters this stop block which positively arrests its further movement in that direction.

For the purpose of affording additional room or support for the work at the left hand end of the base 11 when the sewing machine is in use, a movable or detachable extension 26 is provided which is 01": the same height and width as said base and normally forms a continuation thereof, as shown by full lines in Fig. 5. This extension may be in the form of a box for receiving sewing machine attachments and supplies, and when not in use it is folded and stored in an upright position upon the left hand end of the base, within the areabounded by the side and end walls thereof, so as to fit within the case 12, as shown in Fig. 2, and by dotted lines in Fig. 5. The means for detachably connecting said extension to the base preferably comprise horizontal arms or straps 27 secured to opposite sides of the extension and overlapping adjoining sides of the base. These arms are provided on their free ends with inwardly extending studs or projections 28 adapted to engage upright grooves 29 in the adjacent sides of the base, which may extend the full height of the latter. These arms may be located midway between the top and bottom of the extension. The engagement of these arms with the sides of the base prevents lateral displacement of the extension relative to the latter, while said interlocking studs and grooves positively prevent longitudinal displacement of the extension relative tothe base both in the folded and unfolded positions of the extension.

Preparatory to placing the case over the machine, the extension is raised until its studs leave the grooves and the extension is then turned to its upright position and its studs are re-engaged with the grooves. In order to firmly hold the. extension in this position, the case 12 is provided on the interior of the adjacent end wall with blocks or cleats 30, which are arranged to overlap the upper side of the extension when the case is properly placed over the base.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with the base of a portable sewing machine, and a case adapted to fit over the same, of an extension at one end of said base, capable of lying in the plane of the base when in use, or standing in a substantially upright position upon the base and housed within said case when not in use, and coupling devices between the two last named elements including substantially upright grooves formed in opposite sides of the base and arms secured to said extensions and overlapping the sides of the base, said arms being provided at their free ends with inward projections engaging said grooves to positively hold the extension, when unfolded, from longitudinal displacement relative to the base.

2. The combination with a base of a portable sewing machine and a case adapted to fit over the same, of an extension at one end of said base, capable of lying in the plane of the base when in use, or standing in a substantially upright position upon the base and housed within said case when not in use, and coupling devices between the two lastnamed elements including substantially upright grooves formed in opposite sides of the base, and arms secured to the corresponding sides of said extension and having studs arranged to engage said grooves in both position ot the extension.

3'. The combination with a. knee tor a portable sewing machine and a case adapted tofit over the same, of an: extension at one end of said base, capable of lying in the plane of the base when in use, or standing in a sub stantially upright position upon the base and housed within said case when not in use, and coupling devices between the two last named elements including substantially uprightgrooves formed in opposite sides of the base and arms attached to said extension and projecting beyond its inner end to embrace the sides of the base, said arms being arranged between the top and bottom of said extension and having inwardly-extending studs engaging said grooves, said case having an internal cleat arranged to engage the upper portion of the extension in its folded HARRY E. SMALLBONE.

position. 

